Mechanical Trades Certification Program
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Mechanical Trades Certification Program Electrical | Plumbing | Heating and Air Gas Fitting | Sheet Metal | Pipefitting 1411 Gervais Street | PO Box 12109 Columbia, SC 29211-2109 Phone: 803.933.1209 | Fax: 803.933.1299 [email protected] www.masc.sc August 2020 Mechanical Trades Certification Program Since 1965, the Municipal Association of South Carolina has provided an examination and certification program for master and journeyman tradesmen in the electrical, plumbing, heating and air, sheet metal, pipefitting and gas fitting fields. The ertification may be used as an indication of skill level in South Carolina cities that require trades certification before issuing licenses and permits. This certification should not be confused with the South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board licenses. PSI (800.733.9267) administers the examinations for the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The Board requires licensing by examination or waiver for contractors bidding on a commercial job in excess of $5,000. It will waive its examination requirements for holders of the aster electrician and master plumber certifications if the candidate passed examination after December 1990. For candidates who pass the A mechanical examination after September 7, 2013, the Board will also waive its requirements for packaged equipment and air conditioning systems exams. certifications also should not be confused with the S.C. Residentia Contractors License. The Commission will waive its examination requirements for electrical and plumbing licenses if a tradesman already holds an Association master certification card in the appropriate trade. A tradesman interested in either of the above licenses should contact the appropriate agency listed below. SC Dept of Labor, Licensing & Regulation SC Residential Builders Commission (Contractors Licensing Board) 110 Centerview Drive, Suite 306 110 Centerview Drive, Suite 102 PO Box 11329 PO Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29211-1329 Columbia, SC 29211-1329 Phone: 803.896.4696 Phone: 803.896.4686 For those that hold a South Carolina Mechanical Contractors license, call 803.933.1209 for reciprocal license information. Exam Process Applicants must submit a completed application to the Municipal Association along with the $25 application fee. Upon approval, the Association will forward an approval notification to Prov, the contracted examination provider for the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Prov will contact the candidate by email or phone to arrange a test date. Applicants schedule their own examination date and pay a $100 examination fee directly to Prov. Candidates qualified to take the exam but those who failed the exam or never took it are not required to file a new application but must remit the $25 application fee to retest. Prov is an examination service which prepares, schedules, proctors and grades all examinations for the Municipal Association. (See Prov information on page 7.) Upon passing the exam, the Municipal Association will issue the appropriate certification card. Certification Renewal The Municipal Association will send a renewal notification 60 days prior to the certification ation date. Journeyman certification can be renewed annually for $20. Master certification can be renewed every two years for $50. 1 Cancellation Policy A candidate who is a "no-show" at a scheduled exam forfeits his application fee and must remit the $25 application fee before being rescheduled for a future exam. For Additional Information Municipal Association of SC Prov, Inc. 1411 Gervais Street (29201) 5200 NW 43rd St, Suite 102-167 PO Box 12109 Gainesville, FL 32606 Columbia, SC 29211 866.720.7768 (toll free) 803.933.1209 877.228.3926 (fax) Email: [email protected] www.provexam.com www.masc.sc Municipal Association of SC Application Process The applicant must submit a completed application to the Municipal Association of South Carolina. If any information is missing, the Association will return the application for completion. 1. Fill out the application completely. The application must be signed and dated. The Association requires the last four digits of an a to use as an identification number. After passing the exam, the certification card number is For examination identification, Prov will issue a randomly generated voucher number for the candidate. 2. The $25 application fee must accompany the completed application. Make checks payable to the Municipal Association of SC. (Only company and personal checks and money orders are accepted.) 3. Document experience by attaching letters(s) from present/previous employer(s). For journeyman testing, submit documentation of two full years of experience. Completion of a two-year degree from an accredited technical college can be counted as one year of experience. For master testing, an applicant must be a journeyman and submit documentation of four full years of experience. If an applicant can submit documentation for ten years of experience in the trade, the journeyman requirement can be waived. This documentation is in addition to information supplied on the application. Failure to submit this documentation will delay approval of your application. Keep a copy of letter(s) for your files. The Association does not maintain copies of these letters indefinitely. Do not submit resumes or W-2 forms to document experience. Technical training is considered a qualifying factor in addition to on-the-job experience as stated above. The full amount of on-the-job experience must be documented to qualify. 4. Copies of certification cards or licenses issued by any municipality, county or state must be attached to application. (See application for details.) After the application is processed (allow up to two weeks for processing), the candidate will receive an approval email or letter to schedule an appointment with Prov to take the exam. 2 Prov Scheduling Process Once approved by the Municipal Association of SC to schedule an exam, Prov will contact the candidate to register and accept payment for the approved examination(s) and provide a voucher number needed for the exam(s). A list of reference materials allowed to be used during the test will also be provided. Prov will send a receipt for payment. When scheduling an exam appointment, the candidate will be asked for the voucher number provided in the email from Prov. Payment to Prov is also due at this time. If the candidate fails to appear for the exam, the exam fee is forfeited and the candidate must register again with Prov. Prov can be contacted at 866.720.7768. If the applicant fails the exam, a new application is not required, but the $25 application fee must be resubmitted to the Municipal Association of SC. The applicant can return a copy of the test results letter from Prov, along with the $25 application fee. Registration with Prov will be processed using the same procedure as the original application. The Association does not keep applications on file indefinitely. If an applicant does not reschedule within a two-year period, he must submit a new application to take the exam. For any questions concerning the application, call the Municipal Association at 803.933.1209. For questions concerning scheduling, call Prov at 866.720.7768. Special Notes Submit applications as early as possible prior to an exam. All necessary information must be included with application. The Municipal Association will not call employers to verify experience, etc. To overnight applications to the Municipal Association, use the street address: 1411 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Sample Letter of Documentation from Employer (Please provide letter on your company s letterhead) Municipal Association of South Carolina Municipal Trades Certification Program P O Box 12109 Columbia, SC 29211 To Whom It May Concern: This is to certify that ________________ has been employed by this firm from ______ to ______. The applicant performed (please describe duties performed) while employed by this firm. The work described was supervised by __________________ who is a master/journeyman of the trade. __________________________________ Print Name and Title __________________________________ Signature 3 Reference Materials The Municipal Association does not sponsor any of the programs or suppliers listed below. This information is available to all applicants preparing for a Trades Certification exam. Prov Provides practice examinations. (See page 6 of the Prov Candidate Information www.provexam.com 866.720.7768 Bulletin for book vendors.) Horry Georgetown Technical College Preparatory classes for all exams, as available. 2050 Hwy 501, Conway, SC 29526 843.349.5363 Tom Henry's Code Electrical Seminars and study materials to help prepare for the Classes, Inc. & Bookstore electrician exams. Winter Park, Florida 800.642.2633 www.code-electrical.com Midlands Technical College Occasionally offers trade related courses. Contact the Continuing Education www.midlandstech.edu/cce/ Division for information at 803.732.0432 or [email protected]. Piedmont Technical College For information regarding classes, call Bill Cockrell (HVAC) at 864.941.8473 or Greenwood, South Carolina 864.941.8465 for building construction. www.ptc.edu Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech Electrical exam preparation. Call Sandra Moore at 803.535.1236. Orangeburg, South Carolina www.octech.edu Greenville Technical College Electrical exam preparation. To register: 864.250.8800 Greenville, South Carolina Information: Larry Roberson: 864.250.8276 or [email protected] Mike Holt